HHL DIGITAL SPACE - The Digital Transformation Platform

We have some great news to share!

Last week HHL DIGITAL SPACE hosted Leipzig Chapter Alumni Meeting which was highly successful! Attendees had the opportunity to network with fellow alumni, current students, and staff while also gaining insights into the entrepreneurial ecosystem at HHL DIGITAL SPACE.

Dr. Maurice Steinhoff and Ole Peters provided information about their work and gave a tour of the DIGITAL SPACE. Carolin Maier, CEO and Co-Founder of Prodlane, shared her experiences with the startup that took part in the incubation program of the DIGITAL SPACE and the SpinLab. It was an excellent chance for participants to learn about the dynamic and exciting world of digital entrepreneurship and gain inspiration for their own ventures. Special thanks to Michael Hopf and Stine Täubert for organizing such an amazing event!

Entrepreneurial community listen up! 📣

We believe that most of you intend to found your own company. Or you are interested in…
how to get access to powerful development and productivity tools or to unlock up to USD 150,000 in Azure credits?
..how to receive valuable mentorship and guidance from business leaders and technical experts?
..how fellow founders have benefited from this opportunity?
That`s why together with Microsoft and Stage Two we are organizing Microsoft Founders Hub Workshop on February 15, 2023 at 5-6pm (CET).
What can you expect?
You will get to know the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub
Be introduced to a Founders Hub participant and learn how Microsoft helped them along the journey
The opportunity to ask Microsoft anything you want!

👉Don’t miss the chance to join this event and register soon - places are limited. Sign up link: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=DQSIkWdsW0yxEjajBLZtrQAAAAAAAAAAAAN__hkK5-dURDhKMUY0SlA3UFdLV0IwR1dSVURJMDNPMS4u

We are very excited since we have great news to share! ✨

Yesterday there was our first event of this year - Money4Founders. We organised it together with our partners from Startbahn 13 - Gründungsberatung HTWK Leipzig and SMILE, invited selected experts in order to interview them on the topic of public funding for people interested in starting a business in Saxony. Anja Wohlgethan (Sächsische Aufbaubank), Hans-Markus Callsen-Bracker (Projektträger Jülich), and Peter Wöckel (futureSAX) shared their knowledge about EXIST and futureSAX funding options, as well as about SAB funding options in the pre-startup phase. We had a fairly productive discussion, from which founders could learn a lot of useful information for themselves.

Many thanks to all participants for an exciting networking evening at the Sächsische Aufbaubank premises!

📣 Nehmen Sie an der Veranstaltung unseres Partners teil!

(*English version below*)

Ihr Unternehmen ist aktuell auf der Suche nach einer Finanzierung oder die nächste Finanzierungsrunde steht in mittelfristiger Zukunft an? Bewerben Sie sich bis einschließlich 29. Januar 2023 auf einen der begehrten Pitchplätze im Rahmen folgender Vernetzungsveranstaltungen von futureSAX mit Kapitalgebenden:

- Die Sächsische Investoren Roadshow am 23. März 2023 bietet Gründungs- und Wachstumsunternehmen eine ideale Möglichkeit, um neue Kontakte zu Kapitalgebenden zu knüpfen. Bewerben können sich sächsische Unternehmen aus allen Branchen, die auf der Suche nach einer passenden Finanzierung sind.

- Die Kooperationsveranstaltung futureSAX - die Innovationsplattform des Freistaates Sachsen meets TeleskopEffekt GmbH und Volksbank Mittweida eG am 2. Februar 2023 bietet Gründungsunternehmen, die auf der Suche nach einem Business Angel-Investment sind, die Möglichkeit zur gezielten Kontaktanbahnung mit Kapitalgebenden.

Für weitere Informationen folgen Sie dem Link: https://www.futuresax.de/news/call-for-pitches-fuer-kapitalsuchende-unternehmen

📣 Join our partner`s event!

Is your company currently looking for funding or is the next investment round due to the medium term? Apply by January 29, 2023 for one of the coveted pitches at the following networking events with investors:

With the Saxon Investors Roadshow on March 23, 2023 we offer start-up and growth companies an ideal opportunity to make new contacts with investors. Saxon companies from all industries who are looking for suitable financing can apply.

The cooperation event futureSAX - die Innovationsplattform des Freistaates Sachsen meets TeleskopEffekt GmbH and Volksbank Mittweida eG on February 2, 2023 offers start-up companies who are looking for a business angel investment the opportunity to initiate targeted contact with private investors.

For more information follow the link: https://www.futuresax.de/news/call-for-pitches-fuer-kapitalsuchende-unternehmen

📆 Every year, the first month gives us an opportunity to refocus, make plans, and organize the upcoming year.

Therefore, we'd glad to let you know about the events that Digital Space will be hosting in 2023. There are several opportunities for entrepreneurs, students, and business enthusiasts to connect, exchange ideas, and grow.

👉 In the next days and weeks, we'll release further information on each specific event. To ensure that you don't miss anything, keep an eye on our channels.

Money4Founders

26.01.2023 | 16:30-19:30 | Sächsische Aufbaubank

On the 26th of January the three Leipzig start-up initiatives Startbahn 13 - the start-up consultancy of HTWK Leipzig, smile - the start-up initiative at the University of Leipzig and HHL Digital Space will interview selected experts from the Sächsische Aufbaubank, the EXIST program and futureSAX on the topic of public funding for people interested in starting a business in Saxony. In addition, you will gain the opportunity to delve deeper into the most essential funding lines, exchange ideas with other people from Saxony, who are interested in starting a business, and spend an exciting networking evening on the premises of the SAB. Feel free to discuss your questions in a personal exchange with our experts on-site!

Further information and registration can be found at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.de/e/money4founders-offentliche-forderung-fur-grundungsinteressierte-in-sachsen-tickets-487553885797

All good things come to end – and so did our 12-week incubation program of our batch #7.
 
After 12 weeks of input, hard work and hours of coaching our teams were ready to present their results - their problem-solution fit - on our Launch Day.

The event took place at the Sächsische Aufbaubank - Förderbank - and started with a keynote by Jochen Gottschaldt and a welcome not by Dr. Katrin Leonhardt, CEO of SAB. A huge thank you for supporting us and the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem.
 
We were honored to have a great expert jury on board, listening to the final presentations, challenging the startup teams in the Q&A and eventually determine the winner who received 1000€ sponsored by our partner, the TGFS Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen and S-Beteiligungen.
 
A big applause for the judges, Stephan Stubner, Paul Michalke, Juliane Elsner Elstner and Patrick Krahl.  👏 

But the biggest applause goes out to all our teams, successfully completing the 12-week program, delivering a great pitch and now continuing their entrepreneurial journey:
AI Spaces, Raffl Money, Pornbetter, teacherly, Senior Nutrition, RUDEL and nadar.earth

We are very excited where the path will take them! 🚀

Congratulations to the winner: nadar.earth, who took home the 1000€ prize money.
Thanks Tam Dau for handing over the award on behalf of TGFS and S-Beteiligungen for the best pitch 🏆
 
We are very grateful - a big thank you to all participants, partners, teams who made this Launch Day so special.
 

𝗪𝗢𝗪! What exciting past few weeks.

It's time for a little recap!

We remain impressed beyond measure, thrilled, and proud of the result that we once again created in collaboration with RWTH Aachen University and RWTH Innovation: Stage Two is not only the   pan-European startup competition spinning out of leading universities but also the one with the highest investor sum   with more than €3m in prizes! 💪🤩

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗶𝗺? We want to support the   in Europe and at the same time connect early-stage   from research with international   and markets. This is how we strive to drive the advancement of great technical, digital and medical innovations – 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄!   🌍

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼  #𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗽:
🚀 2,500+ guests on-site & online
🚀 50+ startup pitches
🚀 40+ universities from 20+ countries
🚀 45+ VC firms, +25 industry leaders & event partners
🚀 20 winning teams
🚀 3+ million € in prizes

A big hurray for all the  ! 🎉

A special shoutout to our to HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management startups:
AI Spaces who were nominated by Siemens for a wildcard and had to chance to pitch on the first day.
Once again, we want to congratulate NanoTubeTEC, they have asserted themselves against 42 other teams and made it among the top 8 teams and pitched in the finals.

It was a blast seeing you on stage pitching!

We want to thank everyone who was part of this great event 🙌 Special   as well to all our great moderators, keynote speakers, the panelist, the live on-stage podcast, the FutureExpo, and all other helping hands – 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁!

We can't wait for  !

Photos: & Melina Etzer

Our Batch #7 Teams just reached half-time in their program - time for their Market Day!

In these first 5 weeks, the teams had to get to the bottom of the problem they aim to solve with their business ideas, analyze the market they plan to cater to, understand their competitors and determine their value proposition.

For this half-time presentation, the teams had 3 min for their pitch and another 7 to answer the questions from the jury - formed of experts from the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Martin Müller, Senior Associate at Ventures
Christian Hetke, Co-Founder and MD of
Jan Thomas Alter, Senior Investment Manager at
Holger Brost, CEO at Venture Studio

Thank you for challenging our startups and giving them valuable feedback 🙏

Using the knowledge gained thus far as a foundation, the second phase of the program will be focused on producing a strong solution for their market. So keep tuned to see what's coming along 🚀

Listen up - some good news to share about our startup ecosystem in Leipzig and Dresden!  📣

According to the Deutscher Startup Monitor 2021, Leipzig and Dresden are gaining more and more attractiveness for founders in comparison to big startup hotspots as Berlin or Munich. This is driven primarily by the exceptional research landscape. 📈🏅

According to Maria Piechnick, Co-Founder of Wandelbots, it is critical to view startups as an ecosystem from founding to exit. Successful locations need founders, a developed investment scene from business angels to IPO, access to talents and much more. Promoting such ecosystems in a targeted manner means strengthening innovation and creating long-term prosperity.

Leipzig is more and more able to provide such an environment. 🏞️

Our recent collaboration with the Stadt Leipzig for our Summer School Diverse Startups shows the growing support of local authorities and therefore the importance of such an ecosystem. 🙏

Having multiple projects and institutions like SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator, Smart Infrastructure Ventures ('SIVentures'), High-Tech Gründerfonds or Co-Working Spaces like Basislager Coworking Leipzig, Leipzig is able to provide a supportive network for founders.

The three universities HTWK Leipzig - Hochschule für Technik, Wirtschaft und Kultur Leipzig, HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management or Universität Leipzig with their startup support Startbahn 13 - Gründungsberatung HTWK Leipzig, die Gründungsinitiative and our HHL DIGITAL SPACE - The Digital Transformation Platform serve as talent pools and offer fitting programs, event and networks for the emerging startups.

Saxony-wide we can count on the support of Gründernetzwerk SAXEED or futureSAX - die Innovationsplattform des Freistaates Sachsen.

So amazing to see what has grown here in Leipzig and Saxony in the past years! We are ready to continue that journey and developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem where new and innovative ideas can flourish. 🌱🚀 

📣 Last chance to apply 📣
 
The countdown is running: Only 3 more days to apply for Batch #7, on July 17 our application closes.

Join the 12-week incubation program to:
- validate your idea
- find your problem-solution fit
- create your first prototype
 
The HHL DIGITAL SPACE provides you with a structured program with a research-based approach, which will guide you through all relevant questions that startups have during the very early stage. 🙏🏼

Batch #7 runs from September 2 to end of November 2022, and during those three months you will receive tremendous support from experienced mentors, broaden your horizon through inspiring workshops and work at a co-working space right on the HHL campus in Leipzig.💯

Our program puts focus on your individual needs and addresses them through personalized coaching. You will also benefit from our vast network of students, researchers, founders, investors and industry experts – even beyond the duration of the program. 👩🏻👨🏼
 
And the best part? It’s for free! 🚀🚀🚀
 
 📩 All you have to now is APPLY with you pitch deck!

Application link in bio!